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With math phobia assuming alarming proportions amongst school-goers of every age, it is imperative that the elementary math curriculum be revamped to ensure that the kids get well grounded in math matters. The dire need of the hour is to devise a mode of teaching that will instill a sense of wonder regarding math in the minds of the kids, so that they develop a desire to learn the intricacies of the subject and feel an urge to tackle math problems and lessons.
The Ideal Way Of Imparting Elementary Math Instructions
These days it has been widely acknowledged that the best way to go about teaching elementary level math is to introduce fun, frolic and dynamism into the lessons so that the kids feel no reason to shy away from the subject. And while you do all these, keep in mind that you need to start off only with the very basic math concepts before introducing tougher topics.
There are various fun-filled activities that you can have the kids indulge in to learn the ropes of math. For instance, if you want your kid to learn the numbers the easy way out, then it would be worthwhile to use playing cards or number cards for the purpose. You can also introduce games into the lessons like posting numbers all throughout the house and have him hunt around for a particular digit. You can be rest assured that your child is going to love this deadly combo of math and hide-and-seek!
Again, if you want your child to perfect his counting skills, then have him count the things out of your shopping cart or the number of fruits that are laid on the dinner table.
These are ways and means that are a zillion times better than thrusting the numbers book under his nose and prodding him to go on a memorizing spree. Learnt through fun, these elementary math lessons will stand him in good stead when he advances on to the more tricky aspects of the subject.
Only progress to the next level after you become absolutely sure that your kid has got the hang of the fundamentals of the subject. Herein also you can make use of activities and games to help your child develop an interest in math. You can use flash cards to teach him the basics of addition and subtraction and better still, use objects to demonstrate the subtle differences between the various mathematical operations.
Speaking of the more complex mathematical concerns like geometry, algebra and fractions, you should devise your math practice worksheet with a proper understanding of your kid’s prevailing level of knowledge and understanding of the respective mathematical concepts. Remember your goal is not to scare or discourage him with math problems that any average adult would tear his hair to solve.
Thus for example, when you need to teach geometry as part of an elementary math curriculum, it’s a good idea to have him draw the various shapes and figures with his own hand and then make attempts to differentiate between the 2-D and the 3-D shapes. This basic knowledge would in turn help them gather understanding on aspects like spatial relationships, maps and using geometric modeling to solve problems.
If you put on your thinking cap, there’s simply no dearth of innovative, intelligent and interesting ways to go about teaching elementary math. All that you need to do is step into the shoes of your child and look out into the world the way he does. You will find oodles of inspiration to fuse fun with elementary math.